Sole press



March 13, 1934.

S. J. FINN SOLE PRESS Filed Aug. 17, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1 M EEG Q I ,5, Jim/MEN TUH- W1 WWM March 13, 1934.

5. J. FINN SOLE PRESS 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Aug. 17

//v l/E/V 70/? WRM Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES soLErREss Sidney J. Finn, Beverly, Mass), assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey I Application August, 1931, Serial No. 557,496

26 Claims. ,(Cl. 12-33) This invention relates to machines for pressing soles upon shoe bottoms and particularly to the means through which pressure is applied to the sole.

In Patent No. 1,897,105, granted February 14, 1933, upon an application filed in the name of Milton H. Ballard, is disclosed'a complete machine for this work, developed particularly for pressing the soles upon compo shoes in which l0 cement is relied upon permanently to hold the shoe and sole together without the use of other fastening means. In the patent referred to, presser units separate from the pressure applying machine are disclosed each of which consists of a so-called pad box comprising, as illustrated therein, a hollow vessel (sometimes called a bladder or bag) containing liquid and made of distortable material such as rubber, confining means for the vessel formed and arranged to expose one wall of the vessel for the reception of a sole and a shoe on its last to which the soleis to be'attached, means arranged to engage the shoe and last to receive the thrust caused by the sole attaching pressure, and means for deforming a wall of the vessel to dilate the sole engaging wall of the vessel and press the sole forcibly against the shoe bottom.

Objects of this invention are, while retaining all the desirable features of the prior construction, to provide an improved pad including an improved construction of the means through which pressure is applied, which will be particularly adapted for use on work 'in which the bottom of the forepart of the sole is relatively flat, as is usual in men's shoes, and in which the shank portion of the sole is convexly formed to produce a close shank. With this object in view a feature of the invention comprises a cover or blanket to be placed on the exposed dilatable wall of the vessel to receive the sole and through which pressure is applied to the sole of the shoe by dilation of said wall. The blanket is made of yielding material, such as rubber, and at the end'portions, which engage, respectively, the heel and forepart of the sole, is substantially thickened and provided with means, illustrated as slotted plates of steel embedded in the blanket, for further controlling its flexibility. The shank portion of the illustrated blanket is thin along the central portion of the shank and at each side of the shank the material is not only thickened and carried upwardly on its upper surface to follow the transverse curve of the shank at each side thereof but is carried downwardly on its lower surface in the form of thick wedge-shaped fins which embrace a portion of the vessel.

In the illustrated construction, the vertical height or thickness of the vessel is reduced to provide room in the upper part of the confining means or box to receive the blanket which is detachably secured at its side and rear end to the-upper edges of the walls of the box.

- To provide for adaptation of the blanket to the varying toe springs and heel-heights of different lasts, means is provided for yieldingly raising the forward end of'the blanket so that, when a sole and shoe are applied thereto and pressed thereon with preliminary light pressure,

the forepart of the blanket will be pushed down against the yielding means and will assume a position corresponding to the shape of the particular last being used. The illustrated construction also provides for holding or locking the forepart of the blanket against movement during the dilation of the vessel to apply sole attaching pressure. In the illustrated construction a vertically movable plate sustained by a spring is secured to the forward end of the vessel, and hinged to the plate is a member underlying the blanket so that as the forepart of the vessel is lifted by the springs the blanket will also be lifted. When preliminary pressure is applied to the shoe, the blanket, plate andvessel will be pushed down an amount dependent on theshape of the last and, when the final pressure is applied by distortion of the bottom wall of the vessel, the'plate will be forced by hydrostatic pressure against the front end wall of the confining means and held frictionally against displacement during the final pressure.

These and other features of the invention will appear more fully in the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, I

Fig. l is a side elevation of a machine embodying the'present invention; I

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the vessel and blanket; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

The illustrated novel apparatus for pressing shoe bottoms having means for automatic ad- Cal justment of the sole pressing member in accordance with the shape of the last, comprises, as shown in Fig. 1, a confining means, casing or box designated in general by the numeral 10 and having a front side wall 12 and a rear side wall 14 to which are connected two yokes or stirrups 16, 18. The yoke 16 is arranged to slide longitudinally of the casing 10 on a rod 20 held in ears 22 formed on the side walls of the casing and is held in adjusted position by a spring 21 arranged to engage suitable notches on' the inner side of the rod 20. The yoke 18 is pivoted at 24 to swing longitudinally of the: casing. The yoke 16 carries a plunger 26 upheld. by a spring 28 and held depressed by a pawl which can be released by pressure on a finger lever 30. The lower end of the plunger 26 carries a pad 32 to engage the toe portion of a shoe A on its last B and having a sole C. The yoke 18 has a similarly arranged plunger 34 for engaging the cone of the last B. By depression of the two plungers 26 and 34 the shoe and last are forced with preliminary pressure against a pad contained inthe casing 10. For applying this initial pressure as well as for applying the final pressure, the machine disclosed in the above-mentioned Ballard application may be employed and, in fact, the structure thus far described is similar to that shown in said application.

However, instead of pressing the shoe sole directly against the dilatable top wall of a closed vessel as in the prior construction referred to, there is, in the construction herein illustrated, a blanket 40 interposed between the sole and the dilatable member. As best shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the blanket 40 comprises a sheet of molded, vulcanized, soft rubber which (Fig. 4) is quite thick under the ball portion of the shoe and diminishes in thickness toward the toe. In this portion of theblanket there is inserted before vulcanization a metal plate 42 of the shape shown in Fig. 6 and having slots 44 radiating from a solid portion 46 of the plate. The portion 46 serves to stiffen the portion of the blanket under the central portion of the forepart of the shoe and the slotted portion serves to' control the flexibility of the marginal portions of the blanket so as to prevent undesirable rolling up of the marginal portion of the sole C while allowing the blanket readily to conform to the general plane of the shoe bottom. The portion of the blanket 40 under the heel end of the shoe is also thick but not so thick as the maximum thickness of the forepart and the thickness tapers rather sharply from near its center toward the shank and less sharply toward the rear end. The rear portion is preferably provided with a sheet steel insert 48 similar to that in the forepart and for a similar purpose. The shank portion of the blanket 40 is shaped as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The portion underlying the shank portion of the sole is thin and contains no metal insert. Laterally beyond the shank portion of the sole, however the blanket is abruptly thickened both upwardly and downwardly. The lower surface of the blanket (Fig. 3) at both sides of the shank flares outwardly and downwardly at about degrees toward the side walls 12, 14 of the casing forming fins 50, 52, wedge-shaped in cross-section so that there is in the lower face of the blanket a cavity of substantially the area of the shank of the sole into which the upper dilatable wall 54 of a vessel 56 is molded to fit. The downwardly extending fins bear against the side walls and permit the blanket to be raised considerably without danger of the vessel being released from confinement by the box and blanket. At the sides of the shank portion of the blanket 40 are upward protuberances 58, 60 which assist in forcing the margins of the sole into close relation to the upper in the shank, the inner protuberance 60 being preferably more prominent than the outer protuberance 58 in order to fit up into the more abruptly cut-away portion of the last on the inner side of the shank. The blankets are preferably made in pairs, one for the shoe of each foot, a blanket for the left foot being illustrated. The above-mentioned cavity formed by the fins 50, 52 and the lower portion of this casing 10 are occupied by the vessel 56 which is preferably of soft vulcanized rubber. In its end wall 62 (Fig. 4) is an opening 64 through which the core, over which it was formed, was removed.

Means is provided for holding the front end of the vessel and the superimposed forepart portion of the blanket 40 normally raised to an extent sufllcient to correspond to the longitudinal curvature of a last bottom for a shoe which is to have a highheel or of a last bottom having an extreme toe spring. As illustrated, a laterally elongated plate 66 is pushed through the opening 64 of the vessel and located inside the vessel over the opening, the plate 66 having a peripheral bead 68 to engage the rubber wall of the vessel around the opening. Outside of the vessel and preferably substantially covering the end wall 62 of the vessel is a plate 70. The plates 66 and 70 are held clamped together with the rubber of the vessel about the opening 64 held between them by studs 72 having reduced threaded portions that extend loosely through the plate 70 and are threaded into the plate 66. On the plate 66 is a nipple 74 which projects outwardly through the opening 64 and through the plate 70, the opening in the nipple being closed by a threaded plug 76 upon removal of which the vessel 56 may be filled with liquid. In filling the vessel care is taken to remove all the air and to employ only enough liquid to fill the vessel without substantially dilating its free wall 54. The studs 72 (Fig 2) and the nipple 74 project outwardly through vertical slots 78, 80, 82 formed in an end wall 84 of the casing 10, the nipple occupying the central slot 80. The studs 72 are normally held at the upper end of the slots 78, 82 by a spring 85 the central part of which is anchored in the deep slot of a screw.86 in which it is held by a cotter pin 88. The spring 85 extends to'the right and left of the screw 86, is coiled at 90, 92, and has its ends located in grooves in the studs 72, the spring having the efiect of two springs each tending to raise one of the studs 72 and hence the vessel 56 and the superimposed blanket 40.

To prevent the free wall 54 of the vessel 56 from bulging up too much at the end of the blanket when a small shoe is operated upon, a member (Figs. 4 and 6) is provided. which consists of a metal plate 94 having an upturned edge which engages under a turned over upper edge of the plate 70, the plates 70, 94 being held from relative 'edgewise movement by tongues 96 on each end of the plate 94 each of which projects upwardly into a notch 98in the plate 70. The portion of the plate 94 which engages the free wall of the vessel 56 is preferably cut away to correspond somewhat -to the shape of the toe of a shoe Fig. 6) and to the plate 94 is secured a flexible flap 100 of thin leather or the like which extends backwardly well under the blanket 40. This construction forms a seal between the vessel and the cash blanket.

blanket and prevents the vessel 56 from being forced out by the pressure applied to it around the toe portion of the blanket. The flap is slit part way along its longitudinal central line at 101 so as not unduly to restrict the action of the wall 54 of the vessel upon the blanket 40. At the forepart of the blanket between the blanket and the shoe it is preferable to provide for some classes of work a piece of leather 102 which provides a smooth and durable surface for the pad and contributes to the making of a flat bottom upon the forepart of the sole. The rear margin of the leather lies along the ball line and is skived to a thin edge.

To hold the blanket 40 in place in the casing 10 and permit its ready removal, a hook 104 is provided at each side of the shank portion of the pad. The hooks 104 are preferably formed on outer portions of perforated plates 106 which are vulcanized into the rubber blanket 40. The hooks 104 engage headed studs 108 (Fig. 1) upstanding from the side walls of the casing which prevent forward movement of the blanket and limit its upward movement. The blanket 40 is inserted in the casing by first engaging-the hooks 104 with the studs 108, the studs being long enough readily to permit this, and then the rear end of the blanket is seated within an end wall 110 and the side walls 12, 14 of the casing. At the corners of the rear end of the casing are latches 112 to prevent upward movement of the Each of the latches 112 comprises a fiat link pivoted to a screw 114 in the end wall 110 so as to extend across the corner of the blank 40 and at its free end has a slot to engage a screw 116 in the corresponding side wall of the casing.

To prevent lateral movement of the forepart of' the blanket while permitting substantial vertical movement thereof without releasing the vessel 56 from confinement, a rail 118 is secured by screws 120 at each side of the blanket to the top of the side wall of the casing.

As disclosed in the prior Ballard application previously referred to, the bottom of the casing 10 has a door 122- hinged at 123 which, in order to apply final pressure to the shoe, is forced upwardly by operation of a plunger 124 and is locked in pressure applying position by an arcuate wedge 126 (Fig. 4) which engages under a roll 128 carried by the movable end of the door.

In use, a sole is first placed on the blanket, the margin of the sole being provided with activated cement, and a shoe the bottom of which has been coated with cement is located in proper relation.

to the sole, the means disclosed in the Ballard application above referred to being preferably employed for the purpose. Preliminary pressure is then applied to the shoe by depression of the plungers 26 and 34. The preliminary pressure, or at least the early stages of the application of the pressure, will cause the forepart of the blanket and the vessel to be depressed against the tension of the spring 85 an amount varying inversely with the angle between the plane of the forepart and that of the shank, that is, the less this angle is the more the blanket will be depressed. The plunger 124 is then operated to lift the free end of the door 122, causing hydraulic pressure to be applied upwardly to the free wall 54 of the vessel. Since the final pressure is much greater than the preliminary pressure and, of course, is transmitted equally in all directions, it forces down the bottom wall of the vessel 56 against the bottom of the casing, forces the top wall 54 into intimate contact with the blanket 40 and the latter into similar contact withthe sole and forces the end wall 62 of the vessel, including the plate 70, against the-end wall 84 of the easing. Thus, after the early stages of the pressure, the plate '70 is held frictionally against movement during the remainder of the application of thepressure.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 'of the United States is:

1. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising a dilatable member having a sole receiving cover with a thickened forepart and a thickened heel part, the intermediate shank engaging portion of the cover being thin.

2. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising a dilatable member having a cover to receive a sole placed thereon, the cover having a thickened forepart and a thickened heel part, the intermediate shank engaging portion of the cover being thin throughout the region engaging the shank portion of the sole.

3.-A pad for sole pressing machines comprising a dilatable member having a cover to receive a sole placed thereon, the cover having a thickened forepart and a thickened heel part, the intermediate part of the cover having athin shank engaging portion and having the portions outwardly of the shank engaging portion thickened upwardly toward the shoe to augment the presthe forepart and terminating in a skived edge lo- A cated at the ball line of the cover.

6. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising a dilatable member having a sole receiving cover with a thickened forepart and a thickened heel part, the intermediate part having a thin shank engaging portion and having the portions outwardly of the shank engaging portion thickened upwardly toward the shoe to augment the pressure applied to the sides of the shank portion of the sole, and having also side portions extending downwardly and embracing the upper portion of the dilatable member.

'7. A pad for sole pressing machines compris- 1 ing a dilatable member having a blanket to receive a sole placed thereon, said blanket having a thickened forepart and a thickened heel part, the intermediate part having a thin shank engaging portion and having the portions outwardly of the shank engaging portion thickened upwardly toward the shoe to cause adequate pressure to be applied to the sides of the shank portion of the sole, and also having side portions extending downwardly in the form of wedge-.- shaped fins which confine the dilatable member between them.

8. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising confining means, a closed vessel having a dilatable wall located therein. a blanket on the dilatable wall to receive a sole placed thereon, said blanket having side portions extending downwardly to embrace an upwardly extending portion of the dilatable member-and engaging the side walls of the confining means so that the shank portion of the blanket may have a considerable vertical movement without releasing the vessel from confinement.

9. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising a casing, a vessel in the casing having a dilatable wall, a blanket on the dilatable wall to receive a sole placed thereon, saidblanket having relatively stiff end portions, the intermediate shank engaging portion of the cover being flexible and having side portions'outwardly of the shank engaging portion bulging upwardly toward the shoe and extending downwardly in the form of wedgeshaped fins to confine the dilatable wall between them.

10. A pad-box for sole pressing machines comprising confining means, a hollow vessel therein having a dilatable wall, a plate secured to the front end of the wall of the vessel and having a lip overhanging the vessel, a heavy rubber blanket superimposed upon the exposed wall of the vessel, and a member interposed between the blanket and said wall and engaging under said lip to prevent excessive dilation of the wall of the vessel. g

11. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising confining means, a hollow vessel therein having a dilatable wall to receive a shoe sole and side walls, a plate carried by an end wall of the vessel, and means for elevating the plate to cause the dilatable wall of the vessel to assume a position corresponding to the longitudinal inclination of the shoe bottom.

12. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising confining means, a hollow vessel therein having a dilatable wall, a plate carried by thevessel, and spring means for yieldingly lifting the plate so that pressure of the shoe and sole thereon will cause the vessel to assume an inclination determined by the longitudinal contour of the last bottom.

13. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising confining means, a hollow vessel therein having a dilatable wall, a plate constructed and arranged upon upward movement thereof to lift the forepart of the vessel, and a spring for yieldingly raising the plate so that pressure of the lasted shoe and sole thereonwill cause the dilatable wall to assume a position corresponding to the spring of the last.

14. A .pad for sole pressing machines comprising confining means, a hollow vessel therein having a dilatable wall, a plate constructed and arranged upon upward movement thereof to lift the forepart of the vessel, a spring for yieldingly raising the plate so that pressure of the lasted shoe and sole thereon will cause the dilatable wall to assume a position corresponding to 'the spring of the last, and means operating upon distention of the vessel to hold the plate against displacement by further pressure.

15. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising confining means, a hollow vessel therein having a dilatable wall, a plate carried by said vessel, and means for elevating the plate to cause" the dilatable wall of the vessel to assume a position corresponding to the longitudinal inclination of the forepart of the shoe bottom with respect to the shank portion, said plate being depressible by pressure of the shoe thereon.

16. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising a hollow yielding member, a plate constructed and arranged upon upward movement thereof tolift the forepart of the yielding member, a spring for yieldingly raising the plate so that pressure of the lasted shoe and sole thereon will cause the yielding member to assume a position corresponding to the position of the forepart of the shoe sole, and means operating upon application of fluid pressure inside the hollow yielding member to hold the plate against displacement by further pressure.

17. A pad for sole pressing machines comprising confining means, a hollow vessel having a dilatable wall, a blanket placed upon the dilatable wall of the vessel, headed pins secured to the confining means, and hooks on the blanket to en gage the pins and hold the blanket in place while permitting limited upward movement thereof relatively to the confining means.

18. A pad for sole pressing machines com prising a boxlike casing, a hollow vessel partly filling the box, a blanket on the vessel with its rear end seated in the casing to prevent rearward movement thereof, upstanding pins on the casing on opposite sides of the shank portion of the blanket, and forwardly open hooks on the blanket adapted to engage the pins to prevent forward movement of the blanket while permit ting vertical movement thereof to permit the blanket to conform to the shape of a shoe located thereon.

19. A pad for use in cement attaching soles to shoes comprising a dilatable fluid-filled member, and a solid rubber member overlying the fluidfllled member and having its exposed surface shaped to conform approximately to a shoe bottom, the shank engaging portion of said member being relatively thin and flexible and the parts engaging the end portions of thesoles being relatively thick and much less flexible.

20. A pad for use in cement attaching soles to shoes comprising a fluid-filled member having a dilatable wall and a relatively solid member having a surface engaging and substantially conforming to the shape of said dilatable wall, and an exposed surface conforming approximately to the shape of a shoe bottom, the shank engaging portion of said member being thinner and more flexible than the remainder.

21. A device for use in cement attaching soles to shoes by pressure comprising a sole and shoe receiving member the forepart of which is capable of movement relatively to the remainder of said member in a direction heightwise of the shoe, means tending to urge the forepart of said member impositively toward the forepart of the shoe, and means rendered effective when the sole receiving pressure is applied to hold the sole and shoe receiving member rigidly against said heightwise movement.

22. A device for use in cement attaching soles to shoes by pressure comprising a sole and shoe receiving member the forepart of which is capable of movement relatively to the remainder of said member in a direction heightwise of the shoe, a spring tending to urge the forepart of said member toward the forepart of the shoe, and means rendered effective when the sole receiving pressure is applied to hold the sole and shoe receiving member rigidly against said heightwise movement.

23. A device for use in cement attaching soles to shoes by pressure comprising a sole and shoe receiving member the forepart of which is capable of movement relatively to the remainder of said member in a direction heightwise of the shoe, a spring tending to urge the forepart of said member toward the forepart of the shoe and permitting the forepart of said member to yield during the early stages of the application of pressure, and means rendered efi'ective after the early stages of the. application of pressure to secure the forepart of said member rigidly against heightwise movement.

24. A device for use in cement attaching soles to shoes by pressure comprising a dilatable fluidfilled member the forepart of which is capable of movement relatively to the remainder of said member in a direction heightwise of a shoe the sole of which is being cement attached with the aid of said device, means tending to urge the forepart of said member impositively towardthe forepart of the-sole of a shoe operated on by said device, and means rendered efiective when the sole attaching pressure is applied to hold the forepart of tne fluid-filled member against such heightwise movement.

25. A device for use in cement attaching soles to shoes by pressure comprising a dilatable fluidfilled member the forepart of which is capable of movement relatively to the remainder of said member in a direction heightwise of a. shoe the sole of which is being cement attached with the aid of said device, a spring tending to urge the forepart of said member toward the forepart of the sole of a shoe'operated on by said device, and means rendered effective by the application of the sole attaching pressure to hold the forepart of the fluid-filled member against heightwise movement.

26. A device for use in cement attaching soles to shoes by pressure comprising a dilatable fluidfilled, member the forepart of which is capable of movement relatively to the remainder of said member in a direction heightwise of a shoe the sole of which is being cement attached with the aid of said device, a spring tending to urge the forepart of said member toward the forepart of the sole of a shoe supported by said device but permitting the forepart of the fluid-filled member to yield during the early stages of the application of pressure, and means effective to secure the forepart of the fluid-filled member against heightwise movement after the early stages of the application of pressure.

SIDNEY J. FINN. 

